This Week's Leaders

cooking Q - evaporated milk vs. regular milk

does anyone know if it would make a HUGE difference if I just used regular 1% milk in my sweet potato casserole instead of evap. milk? What if I cook the milk down a little first? I've done that for soups. What about half-and-half?

Re: cooking Q - evaporated milk vs. regular milk

What else does your sweet potato casserole have in it? Anything sweet like sugar, syrup or marshmallows?

If it is a sweet casserole, you are fine using the condensed milk instead of waiting to get evaporated milk. Condensed milk is sweetened whereas evaporated is not, so I would just eliminate some of the sweetness from other ingredients to even it out if you use the condensed.

Otherwise, do you have some dried milk? You can also use this as a substitute for evaporated - just add only 40% of the recommended water.

What else does your sweet potato casserole have in it? Anything sweet like sugar, syrup or marshmallows?

If it is a sweet casserole, you are fine using the condensed milk instead of waiting to get evaporated milk. Condensed milk is sweetened whereas evaporated is not, so I would just eliminate some of the sweetness from other ingredients to even it out if you use the condensed.

Otherwise, do you have some dried milk? You can also use this as a substitute for evaporated - just add only 40% of the recommended water.

no no no no!!!

sweetened condensed milk is thick and syrupy! evap milk is thin like skim!

sweetened condensed milk is thick and syrupy! evap milk is thin like skim!

not interchangeable!

I do think that a 2% or skim might substitute ok, though

no no no no!! :)

The only difference is that condensed milk is 40-45% sugar, thus the syrupy sweetness. I think condensed starts from whole milk also, whereas evaporated starts with 1% maybe? But they are both reduced to 40% of their water content.

How about cream? Do you have any cream in your house? I think this would be better than just regular milk, since is is thicker (i.e. closer to the 40% water content)...